The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
EASTER SERMON.
CHRIsT's RESURRECTION AND THE MIRA
Giles WHICH HE PERFORMED.

The Supernatural Law Sets In Where
our Ignorance Begins ..- Miracles
are Only the Re.establishment of
Natural Laws.
In the morning Mr. Jackson delivered the
following sermon in the Metodist Church at
Abbevilc on Easter evening:
} Why should 1t he thought o thing incredible with
YOU that Go. should raise the dead?-Acs XVI: 8.
The Christian religion afflrms a resurrection
from the dend. Against this affirmation ma
terialiStic science, nature Interpreted without
, God rs factor, interposes strong negation.
MES II you will admit the premise OF this
materialistc theology-if you will consent to
interpret nature without God as factor-then
will be no resurrection If Paul hnd left the
idea of God out Of his question to Agrippa
then he would have e ven up the Christian
fence impossible. But when he introduces
God into the problem, he changes the whole
aspect of the question and gives the adherents
Of the doctrine vantage ground from rom when ci
It seems To me Ii Is impossible to drive them.
Let us makes short statement The resurrec-
tion is taught In connection with the exist
from him. 1t ia not taught as a simple result
of nature, MS for instance the termination
and growth of plant. but as result which
is wrought out OF nature by the Will ana ener.
les
defended and is defenslbe. The text points
to q result and the question Is asked, why the
possibility of that result is doubted. This en-
ables us to discuss the resurrection as result,
and to make un argument for it's possibility
along the line Of cause and effect.
NATURE ACTING IN ITS ORDINARY WAY.
The classes of results of which we know
anything are three There are first, the SIM
Pile results Of nature acting In its ordinary or
usual course For instance, the growth de-
vclopment and maturity Of the vegetable
kingdom, and its decay. The results produc-
ed by the action Of heat, the law Of gravita-
phenomena. 1t is important that we notice
two things In connection with this class Of re-
suits. First, they contain mysteries beyond
the grasp of the strongest minds. Take graV.
we have q known something answering to
that name. when the fact is that we know no
more Of what gravltation Is now, than we did
before Newton named 1t. 1t Is only name
an unknown quantity. or fphenomena attrlb-
uted TO graritation we know much, but OF
grs svitation itself-nothing Don't slnr over
At present our whole system Of philosophy Is
buttresrd upon an unknown quantity, and If
when found out 1t should prove to be some.
thing different from what IT now Is conceived
TO be, 1t may require n thorough over-hauling
Of our conclusions.
Another thing to notice in this class of re-
n IS ihG e ACORN
and develops into tho oak without the aid of
the human will. bnt 1t Is In the power of that
will TO intercept It's growth at any stage: IL
may crush 1t In infancy, IL may destroy or
utilize it in maturity. The law Of gravltation
does its work without the aid of human agen-
cy, but is interrupted and overcome by that
aypncy every day, hour aud moment or life.
Two things then We have learned from this
class of results First, that they contain
mysteries. ani second that they may be inter-
frred with by higher power,-the human
Il fnria hNHt
doubts the possibility OF the results, and des-
p.te the interference by the human will no
hody claims that n rent has been made In
these laws. Our filth staggers not here.
We are all very credulous scientists.
THE RESULTS OF NATURE UTILIZED BY NAN.
We have another class OF results In the
world which we must notice. The results of
nature utilized by the mind and Will OF man.
This church is one. Nature can grow thou
sands of forests but she can never make a
house. This house taken as result, predi-
Gates the powers OF nature utilized by the
powers Of man. The steam engine Is sanother
| Nature gives US in profusion the raw mate
rias of which the engine is composed, but 1t
Is disorganized, lying in scattered fragments
over and In the earth, or diffusing Itself into
every atom of matter throughout the uni
tellect-takes hold OF these scattered forces
and combining them together gives us re-
suit at once the marvel and blessing OF the
age, and so on through the whole. The sum
the race involves as anlecedent the forces and
powers OF simple nature guided ana utilized
| by the higher will and intellect of man.
There ure two things In this class Of results
that we must notice. First, in none of Them
! has mai ure been violated. Utilized. but never
violated. The mind Of man has taken hold OF
the laws and forces of nature and utilized
them, but has he violated them? He guides
| the elect rc current along pathway over the
earth and under the sea, flashing his message
from continent 10 continent with the rapidity
Of thought, but has rent been made in the
law or electricity? He has harnessed the en-
| crgics of steam and goes whirling across the
continent in mighty triumph over the laws OF
gravitation, and yet has any law been VIC.
lated? Gravitation you say. Is II not that
very law that holds his rail.track on the
earth, his engine on the track, and himself on
his seat. No, not violated but used, utilized
by higher power. Has any law OF acoustics
been violated by the telephone? How have
men reached these results? In every Instance
by obeying the laws of nature. When you
obey these laws. you make them subject TO
you. They then become your servants, and
your knowledge Of them enables You to lay
your bidding. Thus men having found out
the laws OF acoustics. OF electricity, OF dymo-
mics, by obeying them and not violating
them, by using them and not crushing them.
have reached wonderful results.
| There Is another thing to notice In these re-
suits. The lesson that Is contained IN the fact
OF their increase in number and ingenuity
with the increase OF the knowledge and eXspe-
ricncc of the race. There was a time when
the idea of locomotive had never entered
the human brain, a time, and not very far
back either, when q message transmitted from
here 10 New York with electric flash would
have startled men rs much as q resurrection
| from the dead; time when the ability to
speak in the ear of your friend miles distant
would have been denounced by men unac-
quuin nted with the prophetic possibilities OF
science, MS impossible, because violation of
natures laws; time when me 3 things which
| lions would have been hooted rs dream Of
disordered brain. And why? Because the
men of that day were doing what we so often
the unknown quantities. They were ignorant
Of the possibilities that lay enshrined in mind
and matter awaiting the proper moment
world by thor resurrection. They were gno-
lant, and mistaking their IGNORANCE for posi-
tive knowledge, they doubled and denied the
| ve-y facts with which we nre SO familiar to-
day. But this Is not all. He reads the history
Of his race with little insight, who does not
see In these lessons prophecy OF something
larger and grander yet to come. Who Will
| been closed in this century, never to be open.
ed again? That the possibilities Of mind and
| matter have been exhausted? That other and
grander results will not come out in the on
werd progress of the world as far surprising
the highest achievements OF to-day, as these
surpass the grandest results OF two centu-
ries ago? Who shall measure the stretch Of
road TINT lengthens out before a race OF men,
n world Of mind holding such mighty un-
Known forces? Who will 60 forward 10 the
Ultimate goal Of human progress and rear Il
barrier that shall stay the onward march OF
forces that gain power and intensity with
each advancing step? Shall we, because igno-
rant now Of the matter and manner OF future
achievements, be silly enough TO place our
puny veto upon the inherent forces OF the
race inspired and guided now and ever by the
spirit and wisdom Of him whose highest
pI .asure Is our greatest advancement? And
yet this Is just what Is done when we declare
that in the future this or that will never be
done.
Brethren, my heart thrills with Joy as
l look forward to the future OF my race
When according to the prophecy OF the past
II shall stand upon higher heights than these,
WHOM 1t shall have marched nearer up TO